


A Slow Burn

by Pokeluv101



Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Firefighters, Fluff, M/M, Reunions, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:34:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24707659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pokeluv101/pseuds/Pokeluv101
Summary: After a fire destroys his apartment, Mahiru stays at Kuro’s home. (KuroMahi, Firefighter AU)
Relationships: Kuro | Sleepy Ash/Shirota Mahiru
Comments: 2
Kudos: 56





	A Slow Burn

**Author's Note:**

> This is a birthday gift to Damucochan on twitter. She does wonderful KuroMahi art so please go support her.

Mahiru wanted nothing more than to collapse on his bed and sleep for a week. He covered a few shifts for his co-worker and he was tired after the long day. He was a nurse and his legs felt sore after caring for so many patients. As his taxi approached his apartment building, he noticed a crowd gathered in the parking lot. His eyes widened when he saw that the building was on fire.

“Oh God!” Mahiru gasped. He blindly handed a few bills to the taxi driver before he jumped out of the car. His earlier exhaustion disappeared and his training as a nurse overtook him. If there were people injured, he needed to help them. Adrenaline fueled him but he forced himself to stay calm amidst the chaos the fire caused. Firefighters were already on the scene and Mahiru searched for their captain.

In the corner of his eyes, he saw a child huddled on a balcony and he realized he must’ve been trapped by the fire. The boy started to climb over the bar to escape the fire and Mahiru screamed for him to stop. He was on the second floor but he could be hurt if he fell. Mahiru ran to help him without thinking of the danger. He was able to feel the heat of the fire and he did his best to not inhale smoke.

“Takashi, please stay calm. Go back to the other side of the rail or else you’ll fall. The firefighters will be here with a ladder to rescue you soon.” Mahiru spoke in a soothing voice and prayed that the child wouldn’t do anything reckless. He stood beneath the balcony to catch him.

“Mr. Shirota, I’m scared. Catch me.” The boy let go of the bar and Mahiru’s heart dropped to his stomach. He rushed to position himself beneath the child so he would be able to save him. While he managed to catch him, his weight and momentum knocked him off his feet. Mahiru winced when his hands scraped against the dirt as he hit the ground.

He looked up and saw burning debris falling towards them. Mahiru silently screamed to his body to run but his legs became stiff with fear. He suddenly felt himself being lifted off the ground and he was carried away from the building. A firefighter had rescued him. He knew firemen were strong but he was surprised by the man’s strength. He carried Mahiru to the firetruck and placed him on the ground.

“Thank you, Sir.” Mahiru said to him but he didn’t know if he could hear him. Before the fireman could run back into the burning building, Mahiru grabbed his arm. “I’m a nurse. Is anyone injured? I can perform first aid on them after I tend to Takashi. I also live in the building so I can talk to people and help you find if anyone is still inside.”

“… Mahiru?” The fireman’s voice was muffled so he thought he misheard him at first. He took off his helmet and Mahiru immediately recognized him. Kuro was his best friend since they were kids but they grew apart after they choose different careers. The subtle smile he had was still able to make his heart jump. “You still have that troublesome habit of running into danger.”

“That’s not polite, Kuro.” Mahiru pouted at him.

“You can lecture me about it later. I have to go put out the fire. The captain is over there and you can talk to him about giving people first aid.” Kuro told him and Mahiru nodded to him. He watched him put on his helmet again and join the other firefighters. He prayed that Kuro would stay safe.

* * *

“Thanks for your help, Mahiru. I’m sorry that we had to meet like this though.” After the fire was put out, Kuro stayed behind to speak with Mahiru. He had seen how difficult losing a home to a fire could be. He was worried that Mahiru so he asked his brother to cover the rest of his shift while he checked on him. They sat on a bench with tea Mahiru had bought. “Do you have a place to stay? A friend or boyfriend?”

“I’m not dating anyone. My job as a nurse has kept me busy. Tsurugi and Licht are out of the country so I can’t stay with them. They travel for their job. I tried to call my uncle but he hasn’t picked up. He must be in a business call. I keep telling him to not stay up late with work.” Mahiru sighed. Most people wouldn’t see the loneliness in his brown eyes but Kuro did. “It looks like I’ll have to stay in a hotel.”

Kuro took off his firefighter jacket and draped it over his shoulders. Mahiru wasn’t cold but he hugged the jacket around him. “The fire didn’t damage the structure of the building so the landlord can have your place repaired. You’ll be able to move back into your home soon. You can make an appointment with the fire department to recover your belongings. It’s dangerous to try to go inside on your own so you’ll need an escort. I’ll give you the number to call.”

“I have to call my renter’s insurance as well. I wanted to sleep in for once but it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to.” He sighed. Mahiru was tempted to rest his head against Kuro’s shoulder like he would when they were teenagers. He stopped himself with the reminder that they hadn’t spoken in years. His presence was so familiar and comforting that Mahiru naturally wanted to lean against him.

“I don’t know if this is much but I was able to save it for you.” Kuro took out a framed photo from the pocket of his firefighter jacket and handed it to Mahiru. While it was dark, Mahiru recognized the picture immediately. His mother smiled back at him and he felt his heart tighten. “I saw it and I thought you would be sad to lose it. I grabbed it for you.”

“Thank you, Kuro.” Mahiru said and wiped a stray tear from his eyes. His mother died when he was young so he didn’t have many pictures of her. He was grateful that Kuro managed to save one for him and he hugged it to his chest. The night had been stressful but the thoughtful act made it a little better. “It’s late so we should both head home. Well, I’m heading to a hotel. Do you want to share a cab?”

“You can stay at my place instead of a hotel.” Kuro offered and he hoped the darkness would hide his shy blush. Since they were kids, Mahiru would often think about others before himself. His actions that night showed Kuro that he hadn’t changed. Mahiru had helped everyone in the apartment without a thought to himself even though they were in the same situation. His rare kindness made Kuro feel protective of him.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to bother you.” Mahiru said but he was excited for the opportunity to spend time with Kuro again. They both had busy and stressful jobs so it was difficult to spend time together and they eventually drifted apart. In school, he had a crush on Kuro and Mahiru regretted that he hadn’t been able to confess before they graduated. “If I stay, you have to let me cook breakfast to repay you.”

“You also have to promise not to faint when you see how dirty my house is. I don’t have housewife since you moved out.” The old nickname and his teasing made Mahiru giggle with nostalgia. He lightly slapped Kuro’s arm and he was able to feel his strong muscles through his shirt. He had a lean body so it surprised him how strong he became. Mahiru couldn’t help but imagine how it would feel to be held by him.

Kuro stood and held out his hand to Mahiru to help him up. “I need to return my uniform to the fire station before we can go home. The trip shouldn’t be too long though.”

“Can I wear the jacket until we reach the station?” Mahiru asked. The only thing Kuro could do was nod in answer. He couldn’t say no to him when he looked up at him with such eager eyes. Kuro wondered if he knew how he affected him even after years apart. The jacket was a little big for Mahiru but Kuro thought it was attractive on him. “We have a lot to catch up on. You said that you don’t have a housewife. Are you single?”

“I haven’t met someone I would spend my life with.” Kuro told him and Mahiru felt hopeful.

* * *

Kuro heard the door open behind him and he looked back to see Mahiru stepping out of the bathroom. His hair was a little damp from his shower. After the stressful night with the fire, the warm shower and Kuro’s presence helped him relax. They had already eaten dinner together and Mahiru knew he should go to bed. However, he wanted to talk with Kuro more.

“Thank you for the clothes, Kuro.” Since he didn’t have clean clothes to wear, he let Mahiru borrow his pajamas. The shirt was a little big on him though. Mahiru ran his hand over the shirt that reached his thighs. Mahiru sat next to him on the couch. “I put my dirty clothes in the hamper and it looks very full. I’m guessing you haven’t done your laundry in three weeks.”

“Guilty.” He nodded. Mahiru started to laugh and Kuro was confused for a moment. He thought he would lecture him for being lazy. He must’ve seen the confusion on his face since he explained.

“You haven’t changed a bit, Kuro.” Nostalgia softened Mahiru’s smile yet the memories also made him realize how much he missed Kuro. They had a lot of fun together when they were roommates. He had been busy with his job and he didn’t have a chance to simply relax with a friend. “We should hang out like this again.”

“That would be nice.” Kuro agreed. His answer made Mahiru’s smile brighten and he took out his phone to exchange numbers. “I’m watching old re-runs. Do you want to watch with me or go to sleep? You must be tired. You can take my bed and I’ll sleep on the couch. I know you’re going to insist that you should sleep on the couch but—”

“And I already guessed that you would offer to sleep out here so I would be comfortable. I thought of a compromise for us.” Mahiru told him. “We can camp on the floor in front of the television and watch movies until we fall asleep. It’ll be a good way to catch up as well. I don’t have work tomorrow so we can stay up late.”

“I’ll get the blankets from the closet. Can you make some snacks for our movie marathon?” He started to stand but then Mahiru placed his hand on his shoulder. When he looked down at him, he noticed that there was a blush on his face. Before he could ask him why his face was red, Mahiru kissed his cheek lightly.

“Thank you for everything, Kuro. I’ll get started on those snacks.” Mahiru stood and walked to the kitchen a few feet from them. He didn’t know how Kuro would react to the kiss and he suddenly felt shy. His curiosity got the better of him and he looked back to him. Kuro continued to sit in his shock and his cheeks were burning. He giggled and called back to him. “Where do you keep your popcorn, Kuro?”

“Bed.” Kuro said and then he groaned at himself. “Sorry, I meant to say the cupboard next to the fridge.”


End file.
